Department for Transport

International Travel Update

Grant Shapps: This statement provides an update on international travel.From 4am on Monday 22 November, the Government will recognise vaccines on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) at our border.In practice, this means that Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing and Covaxin will be added to our list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, benefitting more fully vaccinated people from countries around the world. The WHO Emergency Use Listing process includes a review of quality, safety and efficacy data performed by WHO experts, and many countries including the United States, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Iceland are already recognising the WHO EUL vaccines. These vaccines are in addition to the existing vaccines we recognise at the border, namely Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson).As such, from 4am on 22 November, travellers who have proof of vaccination with a full course of these approved vaccines will be treated the same as those fully vaccinated in the UK, and so will not have to self-isolate on arrival or a take pre-departure test, and only need to take a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test post-arrival (with confirmatory PCR if positive). This will benefit passengers with proof of vaccination from the over 135 countries and territories in scope of the policy.Further, all under-18s coming to England from non-red list countries will be treated as fully vaccinated at the border and will be exempt from self-isolation requirements on arrival, day 8 testing and pre-departure testing.Whilst public health is a devolved matter, the Government works closely with the devolved administrations on any changes to international travel and aims to ensure a whole UK approach.The Government continues to keep our measures under review and will not hesitate to act if we perceive a risk to public health.

Department of Health and Social Care

Correction to Written Parliamentary Questions 90063, 97759, 117196 and 117198

Edward Argar: I would like to inform the House that a written answer I gave on 24 September 2020, Official Report 90063 (and subsequent to that, answers 97759, 117196 and 117198), to the hon. Member for Romford and the hon. Member for Scunthorpe was incomplete. In 2018 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on Hearing loss in adults which advises against ear wax syringing due to its associated risks. However, I recognise that by incorrectly implying that ear wax syringing is solely an enhanced service this could have been interpreted to mean that necessary and clinically appropriate ear wax removal should not be free at the point of use on the NHS. GP practices are increasingly recommending self-care methods as the primary means to support the safe removal of ear wax and to prevent its build up. If, however, a GP practice considers removal clinically necessary, ear irrigation or microsuction (as clinically appropriate) should either be undertaken at the practice (if they have the expertise and equipment), or the patient should be referred to an appropriate local NHS service. Local commissioners are responsible for arranging for the provision of medical services to the extent they consider necessary to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible. Therefore commissioners should ensure that there is appropriate access to ear wax removal services, where these are necessary and clinically appropriate for a patient, which are free at the point of use.

Department for Education

Further Education Update

Alex Burghart: Today I am announcing details of the government’s capital investment of £83 million in 2021-22 to help eligible post-16 education providers[1] accommodate the expected demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds.Thirty-nine post-16 education providers have been awarded a share of the multi-million capital funding for projects that will enable them to add extra capacity where there is a pressing need to ensure there are enough places in their local area to absorb an increase in 16 -19 learners. This investment will lead to providers being able to accommodate an extra 14,000 learners. We launched a bidding round for the funding on 18 May 2021. These post 16 education providers will be able to develop new high quality flexible buildings and facilities, to ensure there will be sufficient places for 16 - 19 learners in their areas to gain the skills they need to progress and help the economy to grow.The 39 education providers which will benefit from Post 16 capacity funding are:Post 16 education providerLocal AuthorityPost 16 education providerLocal AuthorityAston University Engineering AcademyBirminghamKirklees CollegeKirkleesBarton Peveril Sixth Form CollegeHampshireLong Road Sixth Form CollegeCambridgeshireBedford CollegeBedfordLuminate Education GroupLeedsBilborough Sixth Form College (Better Futures MAT)NottinghamLuton Sixth Form CollegeLutonBrockenhurst CollegeHampshireMilton Keynes CollegeMilton KeynesChrist the King Sixth FormLewishamNew College Pontefract (New Collaborative Learning Trust)WakefieldCirencester CollegeGloucestershireNotre Dame Catholic Sixth Form CollegeLeedsCity of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College (Potteries Educational Trust)Stoke-on-TrentPeter Symonds CollegeHampshireCity of Wolverhampton CollegeWolverhamptonPortsmouth CollegePortsmouthDixons Sixth Form Academy (Dixons Academies Trust)BradfordQueen Elizabeth Sixth Form CollegeDarlingtonDurham Sixth Form CentreCounty DurhamRon Dearing University Technical CollegeKingston upon HullEast Kent College GroupKentRunshaw CollegeLancashireHereford Sixth Form College (Heart of Mercia Academy Trust)HerefordshireSandwell CollegeSandwellHills Road Sixth Form CollegeCambridgeshireSt Francis Xavier Sixth Form CollegeWandsworthHuddersfield New CollegeKirkleesSt Vincent College (Lighthouse Learning Trust)HampshireInspire Education GroupPeterboroughSuffolk New CollegeSuffolkItchen Sixth Form CollegeSouthamptonTEC PartnershipNorth YorkshireJohn Leggott CollegeNorth LincolnshireThe Henley CollegeOxfordshireJoseph Chamberlain 6th Form CollegeBirminghamWoking CollegeSurrey  Wyke Sixth Form CollegeKingston upon Hull This investment should be seen in the wider context of our reforms to further education. The White Paper ‘Skills for Jobs Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth' sets out our vision of enabling everyone to get the high-quality skills employers need in a way that suits them. The reforms set out plans to transform technical education, boost UK productivity, build back better from the Coronavirus pandemic, and create a more prosperous country for all. [1] Eligible education providers that could apply to this fund were: FE colleges, designated institutions, Sixth Form Colleges, 16-19 academies, including free schools, UTCs, Studio schools and Maths schools.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

James Cleverly: The Rt. Hon. the Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton has replaced the Rt. Hon. the Lord Jopling DL as a Member of the United Kingdom delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Common Frameworks update

Neil O'Brien: I am today laying before Parliament a report, ‘The European Union (Withdrawal) Act and Common Frameworks: 26 March to 25 June 2021’. I am laying this report because it is a legal requirement under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 for quarterly reports to be made to Parliament on the progress of the work to develop Common Frameworks. The report is available on GOV.UK and details the progress made between the UK Government and devolved administrations regarding the development of Common Frameworks. This report details progress made during the twelfth 3-month reporting period, and sets out that no ‘freezing’ regulations have been brought forward under section 12 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act. A copy of the ‘The European Union (Withdrawal) Act and Common Frameworks: 26 March to 25 June 2021’ report has been placed in the library of both Houses. The publication of the report reflects the Government’s continued commitment to transparency.

Treasury

Financial Services

John Glen: The government has today laid before Parliament the second consultation on the Future Regulatory Framework (FRF) Review, Financial Services Future Regulatory Framework Review: Proposals for Reform (CP 548). The FRF Review provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that, having left the EU, the UK establishes a coherent, agile, and internationally respected approach to financial services regulation that is right for the UK.In his speech at Mansion House on 1 July 2021, the Chancellor set out the government’s vision for an open, green and technologically advanced financial services sector that is globally competitive and acts in the interests of communities and citizens across the UK. Delivering the outcomes of the FRF Review is a key part of achieving this vision.An initial consultation was published in October 2020. HM Treasury received over 120 responses and has carried out significant further engagement with the sector. The consultation document laid today sets out the government’s response to the feedback received, and the proposals to deliver the intended outcomes of the FRF Review.The consultation sets out a number of proposals to build on the strengths of the UK’s existing domestic framework of financial services regulation, including by:Ensuring that, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), take on greater responsibility, their objectives continue to be appropriate. To reflect the importance of the sector as an engine for growth across the wider economy and the UK’s position as a global financial centre, the government intends to introduce a new secondary growth and international competitiveness objective for both the PRA and the FCA.Moving to a system where the financial services regulators take responsibility for setting many of the direct regulatory requirements which were previously set by the EU, establishing a comprehensive FSMA model of financial services regulation for the UK. This will be achieved by repealing the majority of retained EU financial services legislation, with the regulators given powers to replace the current requirements with their own rules. This will ensure a more agile regulatory framework for the future while supporting the UK’s commitment to high standards of regulation.Ensuring that there continues to be appropriate democratic input into, and public oversight of, the regulators’ activities. This means strengthening the mechanisms through which Parliament holds the regulators to account and which underpin the regulators’ relationship with HM Treasury, in addition to proposals to improve stakeholder engagement in the regulatory policymaking process.This publication is available on www.gov.uk and will be open for responses until 9 February 2022.Future Regulatory Framework Review: Proposals for Reform: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-regulatory-framework-frf-review-proposals-for-reform

Central Bank Digital Currency

John Glen: The UK, like many countries, is actively exploring the potential role of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a complement to cash and bank deposits. A retail CBDC would be a new form of digital money, denominated in Sterling and issued by the Bank of England, for use by people and businesses for their everyday payments needs. Exploring the opportunities that a CBDC could offer is aligned with the government’s wider agenda to remain at the forefront of innovation and technology in financial services.Earlier this year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a Taskforce jointly chaired by HM Treasury and the Bank of England to lead the UK’s exploration of a UK CBDC, along with forums to engage a broad range of stakeholders from across our economy and society, including consumer groups, think tanks, businesses, academics, financial institutions and technology experts. The Taskforce will ensure the UK authorities adopt a strategic and coordinated approach as they explore a CBDC, in line with their statutory objectives.No decision has been taken by the government and Bank of England as to whether to issue a UK CBDC, which would be a major national infrastructure project. A decision will be based on a rigorous assessment of the overall case for a UK CBDC and will be informed by extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation.Exploring and delivering a UK CBDC, if there were a decision to proceed, would require carefully sequenced phases of work, which will span several years. I am today setting out the next steps for the exploration of a UK CBDC.The UK authorities are currently engaged in a process of research and exploration to examine the opportunities and implications of CBDC. As part of those explorations, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will publish a consultation in 2022 setting out their assessment of the case for a UK CBDC, including the merits of further work to develop an operational and technology model for a UK CBDC.If there is a decision to proceed following the consultation, a development phase would include the publication, by the Bank of England, of a technical specification to explain the proposed conceptual architecture for a UK CBDC. This development phase could involve in-depth testing of the optimal design for, and feasibility of, a UK CBDC.Following this, a decision would be taken on whether to move into a subsequent build and testing phase. Given the scale and national importance of such a project, this phase would likely take several years and could involve the development of large-scale prototypes and live pilots.Were the results of each of these phases to conclude that the case for CBDC were made, and that it were operationally and technologically robust, then the earliest date for launch of a UK CBDC would be in the second half of the decade.The government is also committed to continuing to work closely with international partners on the cross-border implications of a potential CBDC. The UK, through its G7 Presidency, has been leading the global conversation on the opportunities and implications of CBDC. G7 central banks and finance ministries have developed a set of public policy principles for CBDC, and a full report capturing these principles was published in October. These international principles for CBDC represent a step change in the global conversation and are intended to support and inform exploration of CBDCs in the G7 and beyond.